1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for conducting effective control with a small management load in an IP network comprised of a communication control apparatus having a function to transfer an IP (internet protocol) packet, inject a program, and execute the program and a network management system for controlling a plurality of the communication control apparatuses.
2. Description of the Related Art
An IP network is comprised of a plurality of communication control apparatuses each having an IP packet transfer means called a node. This IP network is of a connection-less type and has been prevailing in the society because it is easy to use and has a wide compatibility.
An IP network is most typically managed using an SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) and an MIB (Management Information Base) which are standardized or regulated by the IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force). The SNMP is a transfer protocol between a network management system and a node called an EMS (Element Management System) and MIB, a database which defines node control or information. Each node can be managed by the EMS when it reads and writes an MIB installed at the node.
An example of a prior art controlling method for managing an IP network is described with reference to FIG. 2. FIG. 2 is a block diagram for showing a control configuration in a typical IP network.
An IP network 240 shown in FIG. 2 is comprised of a plurality of nodes 220-1 to 220-6 connected thereto, each of which is connected through its dedicated control line to an EMS210 using a protocol regulated by the SNMP. These nodes 220-1 to 220-6 have MIB221-1 to 221-6 respectively.
For example, when the node 220-1 needs to be controlled by the EMS210, the MS210 uses through the control line a protocol regulated by the SNMP to make access to the MIB1-2 at the node 220-1 in order to write an appropriate value to a relevant item present in this MIB221-1, thus controlling this node 220-1.
Furthermore, when the EMS210 needs to reference information of the node 220-2, the EMS210 uses through the control line a protocol regulated by the SNMP to make access to the MIB221-2 at the node 220-2 in order to read out a value of a relevant item present in this MIB221-2, thus referencing the information of this node 220-2.
The details of such a prior art network controlling method are specifically disclosed in, for example, xe2x80x9cLAN Management with SNMP and RMONPxe2x80x9d by Gilbert Held; Tohru Asami, Yoshihiro Itoh, Wataru Kubota; issued by Nikkei BP Publication (ISBN4-8222-8021-7); Jan. 23, 1998; pages 1-22.
Such a prior art network controlling method provides a one-to-many relationship between the EMS210 and the node 220, thus suffering from a problem that with an increasing number of the nodes 220 managed by the EMS210, the load on the EMS210 increases.
Furthermore, to control all the plurality of nodes 220 managed by the EMS210, it is necessary to simultaneously conduct control by use of the SNMPs for all the nodes 220 through the control line, thus increasing the management traffic.
Further, since the items of the node 220 which can be managed by the EMS210 are limited to the contents regulated by thew MIB221, for example, the side of the EMS210 must conduct control by means of time specification not regulated by the MIB221, thus having a disadvantage that it is impossible to perform processing in closer contact with an application for each of the nodes 220, for example, network control in strict synchronization with each of the nodes.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for controlling a communication control apparatus that can solve those problems.
To solve those problems, a communication control apparatus controlling method of the present invention performs processing as follows in a network system having a plurality of interconnected communication control apparatuses and a network management system for managing these multiple communication control apparatuses.
To change a control mode for a predetermined group among this plurality of communication control apparatuses:
a) this network management system creates an active program which stores an address table of each of the communication control apparatuses belonging to this group and contents of this control mode;
b) this network management system transfers this active program to this group of communication control apparatuses according to this address table; and
c) A communication control apparatuses of this group that has received this active program executes this active program to change the control mode, in which:
c-1) if this control mode is changed successfully, this success is recorded in this address table and then, based on this address table, this active program in this group is transmitted to a communication control apparatus which has not executed it yet; and
c-2) if this control mode could not be changed, a failure is recorded in this active program, which is then transmitted to this network management system.
Another communication control apparatus controlling method of the present invention performs processing as follows in a network system having a plurality of interconnected communication control apparatuses and a network management system for managing this plurality of communication control apparatuses.
To change a control mode for a predetermined group among this plurality of communication control apparatuses:
a) this network management system creates a first active program which stores a first address table of each of the communication control apparatuses belonging to this group;
b) this network management system transmits this first active program to a communication control apparatus of this group according to this first address table;
c) the communication control apparatus of this group that has received this first active program executes this first active program and holds thus changed control mode in a xe2x80x9cstandby statexe2x80x9d to then record in the first address table a fact that this communication control apparatus is holding this changed control mode in the xe2x80x9cstandby statexe2x80x9d, in which:
c-1) based on this first address table, this first active program is transmitted to a communication control apparatus which has not executed this first active program yet, if any in this group; and
c-2) based on this first address table, the first active program is transmitted to this network management system if all the communication control apparatuses have executed this first active program in this group;
d) this communication control apparatus which has received this first active program creates a second active program which stores therein a second address table of each of the communication control apparatuses belonging to this group; and
e) this network management system transfers this second active program to a communication control apparatus in this group based on this second address table; and
f) the communication control apparatus which has received this second active program executes this second active program to switch thus changed control mode from the xe2x80x9cstandby statexe2x80x9d to an xe2x80x9coperation statexe2x80x9d in order to then record in the second address table a fact that this communication control apparatus is holding this changed control mode in the xe2x80x9cstandby statexe2x80x9d, in which:
f-1) based on this second address table, this active program is transmitted to a communication control apparatus which has not executed this second active program yet, if any in this group; and
f-2) based on this second address table, this second active program is transmitted to this network management system if all the communication control apparatuses have executed this second active program in this group.
Further another communication control apparatus controlling method of the present invention performs processing as follows in a network management system managing this plurality of communication control apparatuses.
To conduct control by use of an active program for a predetermined group among this plurality of communication control apparatuses:
a) this network management system creates a first active program which stores a first address table of each of communication control apparatuses belonging to this group;
b) this network management system transfers this first active program to a communication control apparatus of this group according to this first address table;
c) the communication control apparatus of this group which has received this first active program executes this first active program to decide whether this control is possible to conduct in order to then record a decision result in this first address table, in which:
c-1) based on this first address table, this first active program is transmitted to a communication control apparatus which has not executed this first active program yet, if any in this group; and
c-2) based on this first address table, this first active program is transmitted to this network management system if all the communication control apparatuses have executed this first active program in this group;
d) based on this decision result received in this first address table, this communication control apparatus which has received this first active program creates a second active program which stores a second address table of each of communication control apparatuses belonging to this group;
e) this network management system transfers this second active program to a communication control apparatus of this group according to this second address table; and
f) the communication control apparatus of this group which has received this second active program executes this second active program to conduct this control to then record a control result ion this second address table, in which:
f-1) based on this second address table, this second active program is transmitted to a communication control apparatus which has not executed this second active program yet, if any in this group; and
f-2) based on this second address table, this active program is transmitted to this network management system if all the communication control apparatuses have executed this second active program in this group.
Still further another communication control apparatus controlling method of this invention performs processing as follows in a network system having a plurality of interconnected communication control apparatuses and a network management system for managing this plurality of communication control apparatuses.
To change a control mode for a predetermined group among this plurality of communication control apparatuses:
a) this network management system creates an active program which stores an address table of each of communication control apparatuses belonging to this group, contents of the control mode, and processing contents of error recovery processing;
b) this network management system transfers this active program to a communication control apparatus of this group according to this address table;
c) the communication control apparatus of this group which has received this active program executes this active program, if yet to do so, to thereby change the control mode, in which:
c-1) if this control mode is successfully changed, this success is recorded in this address table and then, based on this address table, this active program is transmitted to a communication control apparatus which has not executed it yet, if any, in this group; and
c-2) if this control mode could not be changed successfully, this failure is recorded in this address table, after which this active program has its own processing contents switched to error recovery processing and then, based on this address table, is transmitted to a communication control apparatus which has successfully executed this active program, if any, in this group and;
d) the communication control apparatus which has received the active program switched to this error recovery processing executes this active program to perform this error recovery processing and then, based on this address table, transmits this active program as switched to this error recovery processing to a communication control apparatus which has successfully executed this active program but is yet to perform this error recovery processing, if any, in this group.
An additional communication control apparatus controlling method of the present invention performs processing as follows in a network system having a plurality of interconnected communication control apparatuses and a network management system for managing this plurality of communication control apparatuses.
To change a control mode for a predetermined group among this plurality of communication control apparatuses:
a) this network management system creates an active program which stores an address table of each of communication control apparatuses belonging to this group and contents and a time condition of this control mode;
b) this network management system transfers this active program to a communication control apparatus of this group according to this address table;
c) the communication control apparatus of this group which has received this active program executes this active program to hold this changed control mode in a xe2x80x9cstandby statexe2x80x9d and also set this time condition in order to then record in this address table a fact that this communication control apparatus has held this changed control mode in the xe2x80x9cstandby statexe2x80x9d, in which:
c-1) based on this address table, this active program is transmitted to a communication control apparatus which has not executed this active program yet, if any, in this group; and
c-2) based on this address table, this active program is transmitted to this network management system if all the communication control apparatuses have executed this active program in this group; and
d) this communication control apparatus which has executed this active program switched this changed control mode from the xe2x80x9cstandby statexe2x80x9d to an xe2x80x9coperation statexe2x80x9d when the time condition thus set is true.